Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the global development network of the United Nations system that is on the ground in over 140 countries, with its Headquarters in New York, USA.  The Bureau for Management Services (BMS) is a central Bureau tasked with the development of corporate strategies, policies, tools and systems in key cross-cutting management areas.

The Office of Financial Resources Management (OFRM) performs a pivotal role within BMS and within UNDP’s global finance function, partnering with Bureaux and Country Offices. The primary role of OFRM is to maintain the financial integrity of UNDP through providing financial leadership, supporting the efficient and effective management of its financial resources, promoting financial sustainability and responsible resource allocation in the context of a fluctuating funding environment.

UNDP uses PeopleSoft ERP system, referred to internally as “Atlas” which was implemented in 2004 and comprises various modules including, Accounts Payable, Contracts Module (used for  management of revenues and receivables), General Ledger, Treasury Module, Human Resources, Grants and Project Management, Bank-to-Book (B2B) and Asset Management modules. UNDP has embarked on the process of migrating from the current PeopleSoft ERP to Oracle Cloud ERP to improve internal processes and keep up with evolving industry standards. The Cloud ERP project is in the design phase with the partial realization activities already taking place. The system is expected go-live on 1 Jan 2022 for the core modules. The system stabilization and staff support activities requiring expert input will continue till at least Q1, 2022.

The Financial Performance Management and Reporting (FPMR) Unit is the part of OFRM that is responsible for financial reporting including quarterly and General Ledger closure processes, and producing annual statutory, IPSAS compliant UNDP financial statements for annual audit, and quarterly financial statements for internal purposes.

FPMR had contracted with PwC, Malaysia to, among others, review the information needs of external and internal stakeholders, assess gaps between stakeholder expectations and actual provisioning of financial information, benchmark UNDP practices with peers, identify gaps and make recommendations for improvements in sharing of the financial information and access through various reports/dashboards.

PwC completed a consulting assignment to assess the adequacy of the Chart of Accounts (COA) proposed for Oracle Cloud by the ERP implementation team, review and construct an IPSAS compliant natural account coding structure, guide UNDP on the benefits of a thick or thin GL in the context of Oracle Cloud ERP that was fit for UNDP needs with reference to its financial reporting obligations.

FPMR is looking to hire a consultant to support FPMR in the implementation of the new ERP resource and transition arrangements. The consultant will work closely with the FPMR manager and the ERP technical team.

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

The consultant will support FPMR ERP activities related to the design, realization, testing, system integration and roll-out of the Oracle Cloud ERP for financial management processes as defined in the Cloud ERP process ownership matrix.

The Consultant’s responsibility will cover the following broad functional areas relating to FPMR:

  1. Process ownership of financial management business processes assigned to FPMR, including the General ledger, Accounts Payables, Revenue and Receivables, financial reporting including statutory financial reports, Agency Services, cash and treasury accounting, implementing partners and management and financial reporting including statutory financial reports.
  2. Implementation of adequate controls in the ERP system to ensure adequate data integrity.
  3. Sound integration of all modules that interface into the ERP to provide confidence in the accuracy of UNDP’s official books of accounts which are derived mainly from the general ledger.
  4. Facilitating and implementing change management throughout the ERP implementation and providing the necessary support to all FPMR units.
  5. Ensure enabling process and policy framework to adopt the best business practices prescribed by the software vendor for Oracle Financials as well as programme management activities while ensuring consistency with the application financial regulations.

The specific responsibility areas for the consultant and the associated deliverables will include:

Expected outputs and deliverables:

The specific responsibility areas for the consultant and the associated deliverables will include:

Output description

Projected completion date

Projected no working days

Review and approval

% of payment

 

Milestone 1:

Responsibility for the coordination for FPMR input to the ERP modelling phase by reviewing the user stories and other requested inputs from the ERP Project Team and supporting the completeness of scenarios and requirements for the new Cloud ERP.
 

Output 1.1.

1.1 (a) Documented observations on user stories for General ledger, Accounts Payables, Revenue and Receivables, financial reporting including statutory financial reports, Agency Services, cash and treasury accounting, implementing partners and  management and financial reporting including statutory financial reports and development of papers for issue resolution (among others that will be clarified).

1.1 (b) Documentation of the business expectations for Conference Room Pilot 2 (‘CRP2’), compilation of the feedback from CRP2 and identification of any gaps in functionality and risks to business processes per SMEs feedback.

Output 1.2

A formal report on the CRP 2 coverage, and user experience and evolving change management issues.

Output 1.3

1.3(a)Develop or support the development of position papers on the financial policy and SOP implications on OFRM processes.

1.3 (b) Coordinating the finalization of the key master data including the COA segments and documentation of key issues.

Output 1.4

Data tables for the proposed values for the COA segments

Dependencies:  input from the project team, the GSSU and the process leads

30 September 2021

49 days

 

(26 July to 30 September)

Chief CFRA

20%

Milestone 2:

A summary document on UNDP core financial processes under the ownership of FPMR and their alignment with Oracle Cloud native design.

 

Output 2.1

In coordination with the FPMR and other OFRM managers, compile a formal log of principal functionality gaps, change management impact and potential impact on the project timeline for financial processes.

Output 2.2

2.2 (a) An update of the risk matrix from FPMR perspective and potential impact on the go-live timeline.

2.2 (b) Input to the live-go live decision discussion paper considering the project actual status and major system gaps (showstoppers) identified, if any.

Output 2.3

In coordination with FPMR/OFRM technical leads and GSSU, compile a formal log of principal functionality gaps, change management impact and potential impact on the project timeline for financial processes impacting FPMR.

Output 2.4

2.4 (a) An update of the risk matrix from FPMR perspective and potential impact on the go-live timeline.

2.4.(b) Preparation and finalization of the data conversion and data migration strategy for financial transactional data under FPMR’s ownership.

Output 2.5

In coordination with the FPMR and other OFRM technical leads and GSSU, compile a formal log of principal functionality gaps, change management impact and potential impact on the project timeline for financial processes impacting FPMR.

Output 2.6

An update of the risk matrix from FPMR perspective and potential impact on the go-live timeline.

Dependencies:  Input from the ERP Project Team, the GSSU and the process leads and the success of the Conference Room Pilot (CRP2).

31 October 2021

26 days

(01 October to 31 October)

Chief CFRA

20%

Milestone 3:

Coordinate the compilation of user test cases and summary reporting to the Divisional management on key issues. Quality control for alignment of test cases with the user requirements on business process under FPMR’s ownership.

 

Output 3.1

3.1 (a) Finalized User Test Cases available on the intranet site against which the Cloud functionality will be measured.

3.1 (b) Document the system integration testing results and impact on the go live. Coordinate the compilation of critical process/module/integration failures/weaknesses/workarounds, if any.

 

 

Output 3.2

Maintenance of appropriate test results and the basis for impact analysis for review and audit purposes.

Output 3.3

3.3 (a) An update of the risk matrix from FPMR perspective and potential impact on the go-live timeline.

3.3 (b) Support the compilation of the policy and SOP revisions required. Leverage the knowledge of UNDP financial processes to prioritize documentation and perform quality control.

Output 3.4

Maintenance of appropriate documentation on the OFRM project team site.

Output 3.5

3.5 (a) Technical position papers where required to influence policy and procedural change.

3.5 (b) Contribute to the deployment strategy and influence the ERP plan to ensure realism and consistency of plans with the actual status for UNDP financial processes.

Output 3.6

Position paper to the OFRM management on the status of the project, the critical path and alternate arrangements, if required.

Dependencies:  input from the project team, the GSSU and the process leads and the success of the Conference Room Pilot.

31 December 2021

45 days

(01 November to 31 December)

Chief CFRA

60%

While this is a Home Based (expected to work during NY business hour and interaction with Kuala Lumpur) milestone delivery assignment, the consultant will be responsible for taking part in functional and technical meetings, including recording key decisions made in these meetings. The consultant will be expected to:

  • Attend Oracle Cloud implementation meetings and incorporate ongoing developments for the assignment outputs and updates to the FPMR and OFRM management.
  • Prepare discussion notes, option papers, reports and analysis required by other stakeholders for review to support the design, modelling, realization and go-live phases of the project.

Provide technical and functional input to policies and procedures owned by FPMR that will be impacted by the migration from the PeopleSoft to Oracle Cloud ERP. This is an essential aspect of and the key driver of the deliverables.

Competencies

  • Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and oversight in the area of financial and administrative management.
  • Proven skills and ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, draw conclusions and recommend solutions.
  • Ability to assess risks and correctly analyze the likelihood of occurring and prioritize any necessary action to risks with the largest business impact.
  • Strong financial management and accounting skills.
  • Knowledge of the financial frameworks, programme policies & procedures of UNDP and/or UN entities.
  • Thorough & proven understanding of common business and project management practices. 

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

  • Professional accounting qualification from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy. Required
  •  Advanced (Masters) University Degree in Business Administration, Finance/Accounting or a relevant discipline, would be an added advantage.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years’ experience in senior financial management position(s) for large international organizations, required.
  • Experience with  UNDP/UN financial information systems, policies and practices will be an added advantage.
  • Experience with ERP systems is required.
  • Experience with Peoplesoft and Oracle Cloud ERP will be an added advantage.
  • A sound and detailed understanding of IPSAS or IFRS utilized by international organizations is required. 
  • Experience with UNDP Finance and Accounting procedures will be an added advantage.
  • Familiarity with international development and the UN system is desirable.
  • UNDP experience will be an added advantage.
  •  Programme country office experience is desirable.
  • Analytical capabilities combined with strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
  • Experience and ability to communicate effectively in groups and formal meetings.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
  • Working knowledge of another UN language particularly Spanish and French would be an asset

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

  • A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;
  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references;  

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

  • The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager. 
  • The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; (excluding mission travel); living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
  •  This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel. 
  • In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
  • If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

  • Criteria 1. Relevance of the experience in senior financial management position(s) for large international organizations to the assignment Weight =20%; Maximum Points: 20;
  • Criteria 2. Experience with  UNDP/UN financial information systems, policies and practice Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 20;
  • Criteria 3. Experience with Peoplesoft and Oracle Cloud ERP Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 20;
  • Criteria 4. Experience with UNDP Finance and Accounting procedures Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 10;

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of Chief CFRA and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

Payment modality

  • Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon milestone delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager. 

The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex 4 – RLA Template

Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org 

The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.